Lizards and Pumpkins and Things
by MyNameIsNoOnesBuisness
Summary: What happened between the slipper and the wedding? This did. From Godmothers to plate designs and much, much more. NOW ABANDONED... See last chapter for details.
1. Chapter 1

**Lizards and Pumpkins and Things**

Kit was about to lift her onto his horse. Suddenly, a voice appeared from the behind the house. "WAIT!"

Ella turned away from Kit. "Godmother!" She cried.

"Wait." She ran up to the pair, out of breath. "You cannot leave yet."

"Madame?" Kit took hold of Ella's waist protectively.

"It is alright, Kit." She whispered. "She is my fairy godmother." She smiled.

"Ella, please…" Kit sighed.

"Kit. Do you not wish to understand?"

"The only thing I wish is for you to explain _pumpkins and lizards and things_."

"Well that's what I am here for!" Fairy godmother replied.

"Godmother?" Ella asked confused as to the intent of her slightly strange helper.

"Ella, would you please fetch that _pumpkin_ from the trough." She said pointedly to Kit.

"Of course." She looked to the pumpkin. "It is smaller than the last one."

"It is the only one I could lift." The sparkling lady shrugged.

"Please be gentle with the embellishments." Ella asked quietly.

"I'm afraid I went a little overboard last time, didn't I?" The two shared a giggle as Ella retrieved the pumpkin and placed it on the path.

"Please, everyone. Stand back." Ella motioned to her godmother who popped her neck loudly.

"Alrighty then!" She waved her silver wand and gold surrounded the pumpkin as it grew and grew into a carriage like the last one, this time with more glass then gold. The entire group gasped in shock. "Ella you know what is next?"

"Mice." Ella said happily.

"_Mice_?" Kit asked.

"Yes." Ella nodded. "Mice. Gus-gus, where are you?" She felt a tug at her skirts and looked down to see all her friends, including Mr. Lizard and Mr. Goose waiting for their turn. She bent down and picked the four little creatures up. "Are you ready my friends?" They looked up at her with large, sweet eyes and nodded. "Good. But before you do, I would like you to meet someone very dear to me." She turned and held the mice out to Kit. "Kit, these are some of my dearest friends. Jack and Jacquline," the two mice squeaked, "the small one is Sam," he flicked his tail back and forth, "and the rather large one is Gus-gus." The large mouse squeaked happily.

Kit looked around at his men, then to Ella and sighed before bowing to the mice. "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

"Enough chatter. Mice to your spots!" Her godmother interrupted them. Ella carefully put the mice down and the quartet ran to their spots in front of the carriage.

"Bibity-boptiy-boo!" Godmother said quickly, the mice growing and changing into four charges. She turned to Ella. "Next please!"

Ella reached down and picked up her lizard friends, turning to Kit. "Kit, this is Mr. _Lizard_." One of them stood on his hind legs and bowed. Kit bowed back and wondered if this could get any stranger. Suddenly the lizards were men, dressed in green and gold and yellow.

One of the new men opened the door and nodded at Ella. "Hello Miss Ella."

"Hello Mr. Lizard. Are you enjoying your second time being human?"

"Very much, Miss Ella." He took his hat off and bowed. "You're Majesty."

"Mr. Lizard." Kit nodded awkwardly.

"Mr. Goose," Ella bent down and pet the creature, "are you ready." She received a honk in return. "Good. Go on." The goose waddled off to stand next to the fairy godmother as he transformed into a coachman. "Mr. Goose does not like strangers." Ella explained softly to Kit.

Once the carriage and all its attendants were as they were the night of the ball, Ella stepped forwards.

"Are you ready?" The fairy asked. Ella nodded.

"Yes please. Can it not be as… fancy as last time? I am not going to a ball." Ella asked.

"Still in blue?" Ella nodded. "I know exactly what to do."

"Ella!" Kit reached for his beloved.

"It's alright, Kit. I've done this before." And once again she felt the magic around her. She felt her hair falling into place as she watched the butterflies as she spun with the visible magic. Eventually she came to a stop and stepped forward. She was in the same color as the ball, only this time the dress did not have as large of a skirt and the shoulders were replaced with opaque sleeves. There were silver butterflies sewn into the bodice and one on her right shoulder. The shoe that was in her hand was now on her foot, with a matching one made just for the other. She stepped forwards out of the fading, shimmering mist and looked up through her lashes at Kit smiling at his dropped jaw.

"Ella…" He stepped forwards and took her hands in his, using his strength to pull her into an embrace. She inhaled deeply and savored the feeling of his chin on top of her head.

She pulled away and smiled. "Lizards and pumpkins and things." She explained.

"This was your…"

"My friends provided my transportation, yes." She waited for his next question but instead her two stepsisters rushed forwards.

"_I_ want a dress like Cinderella's ball gown! But_ I_ want it in pink!" Anastasia commanded.

"Me too!" Drisella followed suite. "But _I_ want mine in yellow!"

"Cinderella?" Kit looked confusedly at Ella.

"I will explain later, Kit. But right now it is of no importance."

"What about our dresses!" The two stepsisters screeched.

"No." Godmother said.

"That isn't fair!" Anastasia whined.

"Cinderella doesn't deserve all of this!" Drisella added. "She is just a servant."

"Servant!" Kit exclaimed. "Ella, what is going on?"

"I will explain it to you in private, Kit." She begged. "Please." He nodded tersely. "Godmother, how long will this magic last? Midnight?" She smiled as Kit made a sound of understanding.

"This magic? No. No. This lasts forever." She smiled. "If your friends want it they can keep it."

Mr. Lizard was the first to speak up. "Ma'am?"

"Yes Lizard?"

"I don' necessarily want to be human forever," he said slowly, "but I would like to be able to continue to speak to Miss Ella."

"You would like to be a lizard?" Godmother confirmed.

"Yes. After I get Miss Ella to her new home, of course." He smiled at his old friend.

"Done!" Godmother proclaimed and flicked her wand.

"Ma'am," Mr. Goose was next, "I would like the same as Lizard. To be a goose that can speak."

She nodded and flicked her want again. The next lizard asked if he could go back to being an ordinary lizard and never be disturbed about this again. Ella believed that he was always very grumpy, this just confirmed it.

"Of course." Godmother bowed her head humbly and flicked her wand. The man slowly descended in height and after he shrunk to only a few inches tall, transformed with a 'pop' into a lizard who then scurried away to the well in the garden. "Mice, what do you have to say?"

They horses looked at each other and whinnied to her. She nodded and the four horses quickly returned to mice status and ran towards Ella, squeaking her name as loudly as they could. Mr. Lizard joined them in their chase and soon the five creatures reached their dear friend.

"Did you wish the same thing as Mr. Lizard?" She asked as she bent down to pick them all up. They all nodded "I'm glad we can all talk now." She looked up to Kit, who just smiled and shook his head.

"You, Ella, are truly wonderful." He said softly.

"One more thing," Godmother interrupted the couple.

"Yes?" Ella rushed forward and took her godmother's free hand.

"A horse to pull your carriage." She motioned to Ella's horse, the one she had been riding the day she met Kit, trot into place as the puller of the carriage.

"Thank you godmother." Ella hugged the woman.

"Don't forget me when you send invitations to your wedding!"

"Never."

"Goodbye, my dear."

"Goodbye, godmother." Ella said sadly.

"Oh my dear." Godmother touched her cheek. "Have courage. You will see me again." She gently tapped Ella on the nose with her finger and disappeared into a poof of glitter.

Kit stepped forwards and took Ella by the waist. "The more I know about you, the stranger you become."

"I am an open book, Kit." She stated.

"On the contrary. You answered two questions today, and raised three more." He said lightly.

"I will explain all later. I promise." She took his hand as he helped her and her friends into the pumpkin carriage.

"I will have another horse brought to pull your carriage." He signaled for the Grand Duke's horse to be brought forward. Soon it was next to Ella's horse and a guard was in the driver's seat.

"Sire!" The Grand Duke called. "What am I to go back to the palace on?"

Kit turned his horse around so he was looking straight into the man's eyes and shrugged. "Foot, I suppose." Turned around and signaled for all the remaining mounted men to follow him back to the palace.

Once Ella got to the palace, and Kit helped her down, he said he would show her to her room that she would be staying in until the wedding. They got to the large white doors, he kissed her cheek and told her gently; "Once you have rested, I would like to have some more answers." She nodded. "Good. Come to the garden when you are ready." She nodded again and he left her standing there.

She looked at her friends, now in one of the guard's hats and Mr. Goose who managed to keep up with her up the stairs. "Come on, then!" She said cheerfully. "Let's look at our new home." She took the handle and opened the door…

**Next Chapter:**

**Chapter Two: A New Home and Answered Questions**


	2. Chapter 2

**A New Home and Answered Questions**

The room was massive. Larger than the attic in their house, larger than her mother and father's bedrooms. Actually, it was larger than any room she had ever seen. And the bed! She had never seen such a bed in her life. But that was not what caught her attention first. That was the fireplace. White wood with gold scrolling and silver highlights. There was a plush rug in front of it with large chairs with large cushions.

"Well, my friends," she sighed, "here we are." She placed the hat down and all the little creatures hopped out.

"It's so large, Miss Ella!"

"Yes, Mr. Lizard. It is rather large."

"Where is the food?"

"Gus-gus." Ella sighed. "Not everything is about food. We should find someplace for all of you to sleep."

"We can do that!" Jaqueline said kindly. "You go to the garden and find your love."

"Thank you." Ella nodded to the animals and turned to leave the room, but she stopped when she heard voices.

"Did you hear who she is?" Harsh whispers vibrated through the door.

"I heard she was a _maid_!" Another one replied.

"A maid!" The first voice laughed. "I would have though the prince would have had better taste!"

"This would have never happened under his father's rule." The second voice snapped.

"He should have married one of us. We are the daughters of his mother's Ladies in Waiting. All three of us were born in the same year. We grew up together. We are members of the royal court." The first drowned. Ella felt the beginnings of tears on her cheeks.

"Have courage…" She muttered to herself. "And be kind." She stood up tall, straightened her shoulders, and brushed the tears away before throwing the door open. The two women jumped back in shock.

"Who are you? The lady that that new maid has to serve?" The second voice sneered. "How does it feel that _she_, a little nobody, gets the price and a noblewoman like _you_ or I doesn't?"

"Yes. You must be so ashamed of yourself." The first teased.

"I think she is very lucky to have found her true love." Ella said while closing the door behind her, turning the key she felt with her hand. "And I am glad the prince doesn't have to marry someone he does not love." She nodded to the two of them. "Good evening." And she walked down the hall towards the stairs. She all but ran to the garden, so that no one would see her cry. Throwing open the door to see Kit sitting on the swing.

"Ella!" He stood quickly, and then saw her tears. "What happened?" He gently touched her cheek.

"Nothing I am not used to, Kit." She sighed. "I don't know why I let it affect me so."

"What happened?" He held her cheek.

"Two of the daughters of your mother's Ladies in Waiting were saying that I was a maid and that you should have married one of them. And then when I appeared they said that the girl you were marrying was my maid and that I must have been ashamed of myself… I experienced this all the time at home, I just thought I would be I would be rid of it here." She looked to the swing. "You said you had questions."

"You should sit." He motioned to the swing.

"I shouldn't." She teased.

"You should."

"I shouldn't."

"You _should_."

"I will." The two stared at each other for a moment and then shared a brief laugh. She sat gently on one half of the swing and motioned for him to join her. "Join me?"

"I shouldn't." He said lightly.

"You should."

"I will." He came over and sat next to her.

"First question?" She asked softly.

"I've been calling you Ella. Your step-sisters call you Cinderella. You called yourself Cinderella, but seem to like Ella better. There must be a story."

Ella sighed again. "You had to ask the harder one first. My name, the name my parents gave me, is Ella. But on the day I met you, I fell asleep in front of the fire in the kitchen. I went in to serve my stepsisters and my stepmother breakfast, and one of my stepsisters called my Cinderella. The name stuck and I ran, well rode, into the forest."

"So you were a servant?" He took her hand.

"Yes. I did not start as one… It started as a _helper_ while my father was away. I helped do the laundry, tie boots, things like that. But after my father died, my stepmother fired all of the staff that my father had hired to _economize_. That was when I began to do everything. That is when I became the servant." They sat in silence. "Are you alright, Kit?"

"Why didn't you tell me that day with the stag?"

"I didn't want to taint our friendship, whatever that would have been."

"It wouldn't have made any difference, Ella." Kit said softly, taking her hands. "I still would have fallen in love with you.

"I love you too, Mr. Kit."

"Will you marry me, mystery princess?" Kit got off the swing and went down on one knee, holding out a small gold ring with blue, pink and yellow flowers made out of gems.

**Next Chapter:  
Chapter Three: Telling The People**


	3. Chapter 3

Sooo...

The writers block became true disinterest in this story. Someone can pick it up if they want to, I am totally fine with that. But I will no longer be writing chapters and updates for Lizards and Pumpkins and Things.


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